Est. for the Private Household
The quiet art of running
a household, well.
EstateHR provides discreet payroll, onboarding and human resources counsel to a small number of principals and the staff who care for their homes — in Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, Beverly Hills and beyond.
Begin a conversation→— Our Philosophy
A household is not a company.
The home is a private place. The relationships within it — between principals, nannies, housekeepers, chefs, estate managers and personal assistants — deserve a register of care that ordinary HR firms simply don't possess.
We have spent years inside private households. We understand the cadence of a family's life, the sensitivities of long-tenured staff, and the structures that keep a home functioning with grace — without ever feeling corporate.
— Services
Quietly comprehensive.
Every engagement begins with a private conversation and is shaped to the rhythm of your home. The work below is offered as a single, integrated service — never as a menu of products.
Household Payroll
Confidential, fully managed payroll for domestic staff — taxes, withholdings, year-end filings and direct deposit handled with absolute discretion.
Onboarding & Documentation
Bespoke offer letters, background checks, NDAs and house handbooks — written in language that reflects the tone of your home.
Confidentiality Agreements
Robust, defensible NDAs and conflict-of-interest provisions tailored to the privacy obligations of high-profile families.
PTO & Time Tracking
Dignified time-off systems for live-in and live-out staff — never punitive, always clear, and respectful of long-standing arrangements.
Conflict Resolution
When tensions arise between staff or with the principals, we listen, mediate and resolve — quietly, and with the long view in mind.
Household HR Counsel
On-call guidance for the questions that don't fit elsewhere: a difficult conversation, a quiet exit, a new role within the household.
— The Approach
Measured. Personal.
Without exception.
A private call with one of our principals. We listen far more than we speak.
A quiet review of your current arrangements — payroll, contracts, dynamics.
We design the structures your household needs and present them for your review.
Ongoing counsel and quiet operations — we are simply available when needed.
— Where We Serve
A short list of long relationships.
We accept a limited number of households each year. The majority of our clients reside between the coast of San Diego and the hills above Los Angeles — with several families wintering or summering beyond.
- Rancho Santa Fe
- La Jolla
- Beverly Hills
- Holmby Hills
- Bel Air
- Pacific Palisades
- Montecito
- Aspen · Sun Valley
"They handle what we don't have time, or temperament, to handle — and they do it as if they have always been part of the household. Quietly indispensable."
A Principal · Rancho Santa Fe
— Considered Questions
Asked,
and answered.
Payroll is one chapter of what we do. We are advisors first — present for the conversations, transitions and judgments that define a well-run household. Our payroll is precise; our counsel is what clients value most.
Only with your blessing, and always at the register you set. Some principals prefer we remain entirely behind the scenes; others wish for us to be a familiar voice to long-tenured employees. We adapt.
We sign mutual NDAs at the outset of every engagement. Our team is small, vetted, and accustomed to high-profile households. We do not publish a client list. We do not request testimonials by name.
Yes. These are among the moments we are most often called upon. We approach each with calm, with legal awareness, and with a commitment to preserving the dignity of everyone involved.
Our work is offered on an annual retainer, scaled to the size of your household and the breadth of involvement you wish. Pricing is shared privately during your initial consultation.
We accept a limited number of households each year, by referral and by introduction. Please write to us; we will respond personally.
— By Appointment
Begin a quiet
conversation.
A few private details so we may prepare for our first call. Held in strict confidence; we respond personally within two business days.